The present invention relates to hand restraints and, more particularly, to a supplemental hand restraint device which is utilized in conjunction with conventional handcuffs to eliminate functional hand or finger use of a person in custody.
As is well known, it is conventional practice for law enforcement and security officers to utilize handcuffs in an attempt to physically control a person in custody. Such handcuffs are typically applied tightly about the wrists of the person in custody to secure the person's hands together either in front of or behind the back. Although such prior art handcuffs have proven to be useful in general applications, they possess inherent deficiencies which have detracted from their overall effectiveness in the field.
Foremost of these deficiencies has been the inability of prior art handcuffs to render a suspect incapable of physical action. In this regard, law enforcement experience has shown that the physical control handcuffs provide over a person in custody is severely limited unless the person is constantly maintained under surveillance. Such limited control is manifested mainly due to handcuffs allowing a limited yet functional use of the person's hands and fingers which in many instances has allowed persons to destroy or jettison evidence after being placed in custody or in extreme instances, has permitted the in-custody person access to weapons resulting in countless injuries and numerous deaths to law enforcement officers.
In addition, the prior art handcuffs have often created a false sense of security for the law enforcement officer that has heretofore allowed in-custody persons to slide out of the handcuffs or alternatively step through the handcuffs and, thus, pose a significant safety hazard to the officer.
As such, there exists a substantial need in the art for an improved hand restraint device which is relatively low cost, may be easily carried and manipulated by an officer, and serves to eliminate the limited yet functional hand and finger use of a person in custody.